Chapter 30
Lissia
I wiped the steam from the cracked mirror, being careful not to cut myself on the jagged glass. I didn’t want to see any more blood. The shower wasn’t as calming as I hoped it would be. Danny invaded my thoughts, making me relive every second of that dreaded encounter.
Would I ever forget what happened?
Once the fog disappeared, I examined my face. The large red welt below my eye would bruise in a few hours. But that wouldn’t be the only reminder of what had happened here tonight.
I killed him with my own hands. What choice did I have? He was going to…
Stop it! What’s done is done.
Danny came here looking for a fight, and I gave him one.
I stared at my reflection, coming to terms with what I had done.
The woman in the mirror wasn’t the girl who’d been sold at an auction. She wasn’t even the woman who’d first stood at Marchello’s side, trying to fit into a world that didn’t make sense. She was something new, something forged in blood and fire. I didn’t know if I liked her, but I knew I needed her to survive.
I didn’t take what I had done lightly, but I lived in a brutal world where ugly things happened. If I didn’t learn to adapt, I could find myself in far worse trouble.
“You did what you had to do, princess.” Marchello appeared in the reflection of the broken glass. “Don’t doubt yourself.”
“I took someone’s life.”
“Did he give you a choice?”
“It all happened so fast.” I closed my eyes, trying not to see the knife in Danny’s neck. “I thought I would just back him off so I could get away, but I think I hit an artery or something because he bled so fast.”
“He shouldn’t have come for you.” Marchello rubbed my shoulders. “He underestimated you, and he paid with his life. In time, you will understand that. It was him or you, and I’m glad it wasn’t you.”
I turned to face him, taking comfort in his warm gaze. His eyes were softer, not full of his usual torment. If anyone could understand what I felt, it would be him.
“Danny was so interested in… He wanted to hurt me so much that he didn’t realize I had the knife in my hand.” I shivered at the memory of him getting my underwear down my legs. “He dropped his gun during our struggle and didn’t bother to pick it up. I used that to my advantage. He was so focused on…”
“Shh.” Marchello held me against his chest.
His touch was gentle, as if he thought I might break. But I wasn’t broken. Not yet. I clung to him, not because I needed saving, but because I needed to feel human again. Together, we could be something stronger, something unshakable. At least, that was what I wanted to believe.
“However you were able to fight him off doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m just glad you did and he didn’t get the chance to hurt you any more than he already had.”
“I was terrified.” I’d pushed back that fear so I could do what I had to do, but in those moments after I killed him, while I waited for Marchello, the weight of my actions crashed into me. I was going to have to deal with my actions forever.
“I’m sorry.” He lifted me onto the counter. “Danny may be out of our lives, but I don’t think the threat is over.”
“Diego is far worse than Danny, isn’t he?” The thought of Diego running around filled me with concern. Could we handle another enemy? Would we survive the next one?
“I’m afraid so.”
“Well, you can do whatever you have to.” I held up my hand. “I’m not interested in helping with this one. I won’t get in your way, and I won’t mess anything up. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Really?”
“You were right.”
His lips curved into a sexy side smile. “I think I’m speechless.”
“I’m serious,” I said, even if stifling his argumentative side filled me with a certain sense of pride.
“What was I right about?” He swiped my hair to the side and gently kissed the corner of my mouth. “Tell me.”
“I don’t want to be a mafia moll.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He unbuttoned his bloodstained shirt. “You’re more of a boss anyway.”
“I’m going to leave that to you too.” I slipped the shirt from his shoulders. “I’ll stick with renovating the club. That seems like a sure way to avoid any issues with your business.”
“That’s probably a good idea, but we may have to put that project on hold for a bit.” He traced the bruise underneath my eye, and his jaw tightened. “We have to put ice on this.”
“Things could have been a lot worse,” I said. “I’m here with you and not with Diego.”
There were other things that could have happened to me tonight, but I didn’t want to think about that anymore.
“Diego is the reason we have to put a pin in you renovating the club.” Marchello took my hand in his. “I have to dig deep and find out who he is and where he comes from. Your father may have set this situation with Diego in motion, but there’s more to this story. This isn’t about three million dollars.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I was hoping we could work together.”
“I thought you would be happy that I didn’t want to be part of your business, and now you want me to help?”
“Under my direct supervision. No going rogue, no ridiculous impulses. We’re going to have a controlled environment. One where there is no room for error.”
“When we get home?” I couldn’t wait to sleep in our bed. I wanted to see Ricardo and my mother. And maybe Nico could find a way to come home in time for Christmas. I’d have to get Ricardo to add Nico’s return to his mother’s prayer chain.
“Not exactly.”
“Well, if we’re not going back to the house, are we going to the penthouse? I think I might like staying in the city for the holidays. Milo can stay with us. Maybe Ricardo. We could be there when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. I know it’s crowded, but it’s fun. We’ll have a party. My mom can stay with us too.”
“About all that.” He caressed my cheek, but the seriousness in his expression worried me. “We’re not going back to New York.”
“Then where are we going?”
“On an adventure.”
* * *
Marchello
I held Lissia’s face between my hands, kissing her slowly and vowing to always make her smile. Miami was a wake-up call. One that I never wanted to repeat. I came too close to losing her.
“What kind of adventure?” Lissia’s voice held more apprehension than I would have liked. “Why can’t we go home?”
“I thought you would like a proper honeymoon. Italy, France, Spain, and Greece.”
“Which one?”
“All of them.” I brushed my lips along her cheek, hoping to persuade her without a fight. “You can shop in the most expensive stores and eat in the finest restaurants.”
“We’re going on the run, aren’t we?” Her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“That’s the safest route for us right now.” I didn’t want to take her away, but I didn’t see a choice. “It won’t be forever. Just until things settle down and I know what I’m dealing with.”
“What about Christmas?”
“We’ll be together.”
“But the others won’t be with us.”
“I didn’t expect Diego.” I clasped her hand in mine. “He already sent Danny to kidnap you, and I don’t know what else he’s capable of. But I have to stay ahead of him. I’m not going to have you out in the open. My family has properties abroad.”
It was better for us to get away from New York. The more we moved around, the harder it would be for Diego to come at me.
“How long will we be gone?” Lissia asked.
“Long enough for me to figure out what Diego wants.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I don’t have an answer.”
She ran her hand through her wet hair, but she didn’t argue. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign.
I wiped water drops from her face. “This will be a good opportunity for you to clear your head and make peace with what happened tonight. It’s been chaotic for months. You need a break—a chance to reset.”
“An expensive honeymoon in all of those romantic places does entice me.”
I trailed my hand down her body and rested it on her stomach, smiling and imagining what she would look like pregnant.
“Who knows?” I rubbed her stomach. “Maybe while we’re away, I’ll put a baby in here.”
“I want that more than anything.” Her smile lit up her whole face. “I dream about having a family with you. A wild little boy with dark hair and serious eyes. A real mama’s boy too.”
“What if I want a spoiled little girl who can wrap me around her finger?”
“You already have her.” She laughed. “But I can share you.”
“I’m going to give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of.” I kissed the corner of her mouth, leaving my hand on her stomach. “We’re just going to have to do it a little differently for now.”
“I’ll go on an adventure with you.” She bit her lip. “I trust you with my life.”
“What happened here can’t ever happen again. You are far too valuable to me not to remove you from this situation.”
“I would go anywhere with you.” She draped her arms around my neck. “As long as we’re together, I don’t care where we go, but can you just leave Milo? Will he be safe?”
“Milo will be fine. I don’t have any doubts about his ability to run this empire.”
Given the choice, I would stand with my brother, but that wasn’t the hand we were dealt. Splitting the tasks and having him return to New York while I handled keeping Lissia safe and gathering intel on Diego was our best option.
Milo and I would reunite with my father, and when the three of us were together, there wouldn’t be anything we couldn’t accomplish.
I pressed my mouth to hers, meshing our lips together and kissing her with every ounce of love I had for her. She may have been my captive, but my defiant hostage had stolen my heart.
After a few minutes, I broke the kiss, leaving us both breathless and eager for more. Her full, pouty lips and stunning brown eyes brought me back to the night of the gala. I craved her smart mouth and quippy banter. She had been mine since that night, but more importantly, I had been hers.
“Marchello.” She rested her hand on my cheek. “Nothing is ever going to tear us apart.”
“Not as long as I draw breath.” I brought her fingers to my mouth and swept my lips across her knuckles. “You’re my ride or die.”
“Always.”
“Princess, it’s time to ride.”
Taking her away was the only option for now. Diego was not going to relent. He was coming for this family one way or another, and I wouldn’t leave Lissia in his path of destruction.
My father had two heirs for a reason.
The End
Continue with the next enemies-to-lovers romance in the Cruel Empire Series with Book Four, Scarred Heir , featuring Milo and his captive love interest.